Much of what you said is so true. But the real damage to our diet came from the war against saturated fats from meats (red meats) and dairy. All based upon corrupt science where Ancel Keys cherry picked data to support his theory and then had the ability to punish anyone who disagreed with his theory just like Fauci did during his time at NIH We are suffering from 50 years of bad science masquerading as facts.
I saw an article that said even heating up or cooking food in a microwave oven can reduce and or destroy the nutrients in the food you’re cooking.
Sounds like we really aren’t eating food but fillers, designed to keep us hungry, fat and unhealthy. A great business model for big food and big pharma don’t you think ???
Something to note: I read an article that said brown rice is actually worse than white because the husk retains high levels of arsenic and other pesticides. So perhaps rice is never a good option.
It is helpful to know when, how, and why this started. I vaguely knew parts of what you have described. It would seem that for us to be well-nourished, we will have to have, choose, and eat fresh grains that have shorter shelf-lives and are not transported so far. That looks like a more local economy to me with less large corporations dominating the milling, distribution and retailing of these foods.
The entrenched interests will not let their businesses lose market dominance and profits without a fight, will they?
I agree witb you. Steel cut oat meal has better nutrition than rolled oats. Also how rice is prepared affects nutrition value - anything preared in a microwave has less nutrition than cooking/steaming on a stovetop. This was shown by early Russian studies on microwave ovens. Hard to get an honest study funded in USA showing harm of microwave foods because its so convenient.
SA - "The story of rice is just one chapter in a broader saga of how modern food processing—driven by convenience, cost, and consumer preference—has sapped the nutritional heart from many agricultural products."
Let me rephrase this statement. "[This] story is just one chapter in a broader saga of [life]...driven by convenience, cost, and consumer preference---has sapped the...heart from many...products."
And that's the nutrition stripped from our chemically enabled GMO, monocrop commerical harvest.
We take a sterile, barren harvest and strip out what little good as there when picked.
Imagine if we started with drastically healthier seed, planted it in biologically active soil filled with vitality and harvested crops with 2x the nutrient density.
We CAN get healthy again. But only if we change things - ALOT
Really need Rural Opportunity Zones to transition a significant share of farmland to regenerative farming that requires minimal or ZERO chemical fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides. American farm topsoil is biologically dead after 50 yrs of constant HIGH levels of chemical fertilizer/pesticide/ herbicide. Restoring the vitality of our topsoil with cover crops that feed the soil and smarter management will deliver food with in many cases double the qty of nutrients per lb
Unfortunately, rice bran contains arsenic and oxalates. Brown rice is more harmful than white rice in terms of exposure to arsenic and oxalates. Arsenic is a toxin. Oxalates cause several chronic diseases.
Grains are a really poor source of nutrition whether they're whole or refined. And whole grains still break down into simple carbohydrates. Fiber slows down the absorption of the sugar but doesn't stop this process.
Your microbiota uses fiber to feed your microbiota so that your microbiota produces short chained fatty acids (e.g. butyrate) to maintain your gut lining. Though, ketones, and fermented proteins can do the same thing. Thus, there is debate as to the necessity of fiber. It's not as definitive as many "experts" would like you to believe.
And whole grains are a very poor source for protein and minerals, especially compared to animal based foods. Why? Grains have incomplete less bioavailable proteins as well as antinutrients (e.g. phytates) that bind minerals making them harder to absorb.
Regardless, there are plenty of other reasons besides processing as to why macro and micro nutrients levels have dropped. Selective and engineered breeding have reduced nutrient density in the plants and livestock we consume. So, have both traditional and industrial methods of farming that have destroyed soil microbial health like tillage, bare fallows, syn N applications, monocropping, herbicide burn downs, etc.
Without diverse soil microbial ecosystems, minerals in soils are bound, and thus not available to plants to absorb. This applies to pretty much all foods. Destroying fungi networks also leads to the need for more organic or synthetic inputs for fertility. But again, without the proper healthy diverse soil microbial ecosystem, these inputs aren't utilized as well by the plants.
Less microbial diversity in the soil also means less microbial (endophytes) diversity in plants. These microbes in plants called endophytes make the secondary metabolites (phytonutrients) we consume.
So, even fresh organic produce and grass finished meats nowadays have less nutrients than they did 50 to 75 years ago. Industrially raised meats and grown plants have even less.
Interestingly, the nutritionists who discovered vitamins in the 1920s recommended that people eat whole grains instead of white rice or white flour. They recommended a diet high in "protective foods"--whole grains, green leafy and yellow vegetables, raw milk, grass-fed butter, and animal organs (like liver). That was what nutritionists in the 1930s and 1940s recommended. But that fell out of favor after World War II, as the idea that processed foods were more modern and scientific once again prevailed. By the 1970s, nutritionists were attacking people who recommended "health foods" as quacks: https://annelieseabbott.substack.com/p/when-did-health-food-become-a-bad
Much of what you said is so true. But the real damage to our diet came from the war against saturated fats from meats (red meats) and dairy. All based upon corrupt science where Ancel Keys cherry picked data to support his theory and then had the ability to punish anyone who disagreed with his theory just like Fauci did during his time at NIH We are suffering from 50 years of bad science masquerading as facts.
I want to eat with those people who are eating 64 oz steaks -- I don't see that anywhere except in a steakhouse restaurant.
Most people can't afford steaks or even butter.
Instead of dairy, many people are drinking fake "milks" that have no calcium at all.
Tofu has estrogen in it which men don't need. We already get way too much soy in too many products.
Corn is subsidized way more than meat or dairy. Most of it is junk GMO corn too. No thanks.
Those chives are high in oxalates, so I will pass.
Have fun with your pernicious anemia.
I saw an article that said even heating up or cooking food in a microwave oven can reduce and or destroy the nutrients in the food you’re cooking.
Sounds like we really aren’t eating food but fillers, designed to keep us hungry, fat and unhealthy. A great business model for big food and big pharma don’t you think ???
Something to note: I read an article that said brown rice is actually worse than white because the husk retains high levels of arsenic and other pesticides. So perhaps rice is never a good option.
Great article! As individuals we need to understand what we are eating and make better choices.
I wonder about labeling things organic, giving the impression that it is healthy. My guess is it has the same issue: shelf life!
It is helpful to know when, how, and why this started. I vaguely knew parts of what you have described. It would seem that for us to be well-nourished, we will have to have, choose, and eat fresh grains that have shorter shelf-lives and are not transported so far. That looks like a more local economy to me with less large corporations dominating the milling, distribution and retailing of these foods.
The entrenched interests will not let their businesses lose market dominance and profits without a fight, will they?
Correct. Also means our Food Supply will be more local and resilient
I agree witb you. Steel cut oat meal has better nutrition than rolled oats. Also how rice is prepared affects nutrition value - anything preared in a microwave has less nutrition than cooking/steaming on a stovetop. This was shown by early Russian studies on microwave ovens. Hard to get an honest study funded in USA showing harm of microwave foods because its so convenient.
SA - "The story of rice is just one chapter in a broader saga of how modern food processing—driven by convenience, cost, and consumer preference—has sapped the nutritional heart from many agricultural products."
Let me rephrase this statement. "[This] story is just one chapter in a broader saga of [life]...driven by convenience, cost, and consumer preference---has sapped the...heart from many...products."
And that's the nutrition stripped from our chemically enabled GMO, monocrop commerical harvest.
We take a sterile, barren harvest and strip out what little good as there when picked.
Imagine if we started with drastically healthier seed, planted it in biologically active soil filled with vitality and harvested crops with 2x the nutrient density.
We CAN get healthy again. But only if we change things - ALOT
Really need Rural Opportunity Zones to transition a significant share of farmland to regenerative farming that requires minimal or ZERO chemical fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides. American farm topsoil is biologically dead after 50 yrs of constant HIGH levels of chemical fertilizer/pesticide/ herbicide. Restoring the vitality of our topsoil with cover crops that feed the soil and smarter management will deliver food with in many cases double the qty of nutrients per lb
Unfortunately, rice bran contains arsenic and oxalates. Brown rice is more harmful than white rice in terms of exposure to arsenic and oxalates. Arsenic is a toxin. Oxalates cause several chronic diseases.
This is an extremely valuable article. A key topic that hopefully is now getting some attention due to Kennedy's appointment.
Helpful article, thank you!
Is it any wonder why cancers and other devastating illnesses are way up? Our parents were
Our grandparents were healthier than we are now.
Grains are a really poor source of nutrition whether they're whole or refined. And whole grains still break down into simple carbohydrates. Fiber slows down the absorption of the sugar but doesn't stop this process.
Your microbiota uses fiber to feed your microbiota so that your microbiota produces short chained fatty acids (e.g. butyrate) to maintain your gut lining. Though, ketones, and fermented proteins can do the same thing. Thus, there is debate as to the necessity of fiber. It's not as definitive as many "experts" would like you to believe.
And whole grains are a very poor source for protein and minerals, especially compared to animal based foods. Why? Grains have incomplete less bioavailable proteins as well as antinutrients (e.g. phytates) that bind minerals making them harder to absorb.
Regardless, there are plenty of other reasons besides processing as to why macro and micro nutrients levels have dropped. Selective and engineered breeding have reduced nutrient density in the plants and livestock we consume. So, have both traditional and industrial methods of farming that have destroyed soil microbial health like tillage, bare fallows, syn N applications, monocropping, herbicide burn downs, etc.
Without diverse soil microbial ecosystems, minerals in soils are bound, and thus not available to plants to absorb. This applies to pretty much all foods. Destroying fungi networks also leads to the need for more organic or synthetic inputs for fertility. But again, without the proper healthy diverse soil microbial ecosystem, these inputs aren't utilized as well by the plants.
Less microbial diversity in the soil also means less microbial (endophytes) diversity in plants. These microbes in plants called endophytes make the secondary metabolites (phytonutrients) we consume.
So, even fresh organic produce and grass finished meats nowadays have less nutrients than they did 50 to 75 years ago. Industrially raised meats and grown plants have even less.
Interestingly, the nutritionists who discovered vitamins in the 1920s recommended that people eat whole grains instead of white rice or white flour. They recommended a diet high in "protective foods"--whole grains, green leafy and yellow vegetables, raw milk, grass-fed butter, and animal organs (like liver). That was what nutritionists in the 1930s and 1940s recommended. But that fell out of favor after World War II, as the idea that processed foods were more modern and scientific once again prevailed. By the 1970s, nutritionists were attacking people who recommended "health foods" as quacks: https://annelieseabbott.substack.com/p/when-did-health-food-become-a-bad
Transparency and education will change habits. Most folks don’t know about the lack of nutrition in our food. Organic food is better